By: Matthew Taylor
For the past 30 years, the Summit of Softball Complex has been the stage for an exciting annual tradition: Southern’s “For Love of the Game” All-Night Softball Tournament. Saturday night, teams competed from duskduskr until dawn. Friends, family and community members cheered from the bleachers. The bracket was filled with over 40 teams of varying skill levels.
The tournament is typically a hub of energy and creativity, and this year was no exception. Teams wore creative uniforms, from brightly colored wigs and tutus to granny pajamas.
All six fields were in constant use as teams rotated through the night. By sunrise, the tournament had come to a dramatic finish. The men’s championship finished by 6:50 a.m. and the women’s at 7:07 a.m. Both games were decided by just a single run.
The men’s tournament featured a contested match between Let Andrew Hit and Swingerz. Let Andrew Hit ultimately won the championship with a final score of 5-4.
Coincidentally, the women’s championship game was a rematch between the same two teams from last year: Bat Biddies and Southern Breeze.
Bat Biddies reversed last year’s conclusion and beat Southern Breeze by one point, with a score of 7-6.
Faculty member Patricia Petersen has played on Southern Breeze for the past two seasons.
“[Bat Biddies] are our long-standing rivals,” she said. “We beat them last year, and this year was their turn.”
Julia Muñoz, captain of Bat Biddies, shared that her team had an “unspoken goal of balancing having fun and doing our best.” “Winning the tournament was a huge blessing, but even if things hadn’t worked out in our favor, I think everyone would still have been happy at the times, laughs and memories shared,” Muñoz said.
Endurance is a must in this competition.
“All night sounds fun till you’re actually there all night,” said Jack Bell, captain of the winning men’s team. “In all honesty, it was exhausting, but I love my team, and we’ve been planning that win all season.”
This tournament is a fantastic opportunity for students to make lifelong memories and friendships.
“All-night softball was probably my favorite experience at SAU so far!” said Chloe Armstrong, a freshman kinesiology major.
Her team, Southern Breeze, lost by one point, but she remained positive.
“My favorite memory from the night was just hanging out with my team and getting to know them better,” Armstrong said.
Each year, the tournament promises and delivers exciting games, an engaging environment, an opportunity to socialize and nail-biting conclusions. The large turnout and full parking lot indicated that it will remain an adored Southern tradition for years to come.
